Absolutely Anything
by JayBirdGatsby
Summary: Mabel and Dipper have a massive fight, and he leaves, not coming home for hours. When Mabel eventually finds him, he is seriously hurt. She would do absolutely anything to save her brother...and a certain someone knows that.
1. Chapter 1 - Falling Out

Mabel awoke to the sound of rain knocking against the windows and the roof. She scrambled up onto her knees, her usual optimism swiftly dwindling. It wasn't just light rain from a couple of slightly grey clouds. It was thick, heavy rain being shed down from a bludgeoned black sky. Her face fell and her entire body seemed to deflate, sagging back down entirely on her bed. Corners of her mouth turned downwards, she glanced over towards her twin brother.

Dipper was lying on his back, blearily looking back at her.

"Rain," Mabel said.

"I know. It woke me up," Dipper replied, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palms.

Mabel took down her calendar, gave it a hasty inspection, and then held it up for him to see. "It's the summer, Dipper!"

"Yes…?"

"It's shouldn't be raining! Why can't it save all the rain for when we go back to school?" she turned back to the window and shook her fist at the bleak view. "GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM! WAIT UNTIL SEPTEMBER, YOU JERK!"

"Mabel!" Dipper jolted up at her sudden yelling. "Can you keep it down? You know you have to keep the volume down to a minimum until at least midday. That's one of the few rules we uphold as roommates."

He flopped back down and closed his eyes…only to open them once more at the sound of his sister padding across the room to his side.

"Dipper!" she whispered so as to abide by the volume rule.

"I'm not here," Dipper said, folding his arms over his face to shield his eyes. "Come back at a more reasonable hour—"

"Dipper!"

"Sorry we're closed! Please come back later…"

Mabel eventually managed to peel his arms from his face, pinioning them down at his sides. His eyes had snapped shut. Mabel pouted.

"What are we going to do today?" Mabel pressed.

"What can we do?" Dipper mumbled with his eyes still closed.

"Exactly! What _can_ we do?!" Mabel exclaimed. She released him and began pacing around the room, deep in melodramatic thought. "We're going to be stuck here…all day…playing…CHECKERS or something equally as terrible! Watching reruns…painting eggs…READING!" Mabel threw herself face first down onto the bed, groaning loudly.

Dipper peeked over at her and sat up, slightly amused. "It won't be _that_ bad, Mabel," he tried to assure her. She whimpered. "There's a lot for us to do." A high pitched whine. Dipper gave her a gentle poke. "We'll do whatever you want, Mabel…okay?"

Mabel was silent for a moment. She gave a sniff and turned her head ever so slightly, looking up at him with shining eyes.

"Promise?" she held out her pinkie finger.

Dipper offered an awkward smile. "Yeah…sure…promise," he said, twining their pinkies together.

 **0**

Dipper was regretting those words within a couple of hours. He kept casting hopeful glimpses over to the window yet the rain was only getting heavier and heavier…and heavier. So heavy, in fact, that Grunkle Stan had decided to close the Mystery Shack as no tourists were going to brave such horrendous weather—including Stan. Instead, he went back to bed and Grunkle Ford, clad in multiple sweaters to keep out the chill, seemed deep in thought, muttering to himself whenever he did drift from downstairs to make himself another coffee, so it was just the twins on their own.

Mabel had taken Dipper's offer literally. They knitted clothes for Waddles (taking many pictures with Dipper posing unhappily alongside him), watched _Dream Boy High_ (rewinding her favourite parts, tightly squeezing her brother's arm in her excitement), made her favourite sandwiches (jam with salty chips, peanut butter and sherbet), and now, she was asking Dipper to do her makeup.

"Uh, Mabel, you can do your own makeup…in fact, you never even wear any," Dipper pointed out.

"Yeah I do! It just looks so natural because I'm so adorable!" Mabel laughed. "Come on, Dipper, it'll be fun."

"For who?" Dipper grumbled, fumbling through her makeup bag, his frown deepening as he did so. "Urgh! I don't even know what most of these things are let alone what they're for! And most of them just look the same!" he presented two mascaras to prove his point.

Mabel snorted. "They're completely different. One is black, the other is waterproof, one's for extra full-luscious lashes and the other's for…"

"Okay, okay, sorry I asked," Dipper snapped, snatching them back from her.

Mabel looked momentarily surprised but then she smiled, playfully punching him in the arm. "You're being a real drip, bro. Dip-drip is what I shall call you from now on. Dip-the-drip. Dripping-Sauce…"

"FINE! I'll do your makeup."

"Yay!" Mabel threw her arms around his neck.

Dipper wasn't sure what his sister was expecting. He had no idea what he was doing. He would go to squeeze some liquid-looking stuff onto a brush only to get it smacked out of his hand with a shrill "NO THAT'LL RUIN MY BRUSHES, YOU DING-DONG!" He would try to apply some eyeshadow over her lids and she would complain he was putting on too much or brushing it on to hard. His mouth was pressed into a grim line throughout the entire ordeal. Mabel kept giggling to herself, apparently finding the entire thing hilarious. Dipper didn't think so.

"There. Done." He presented her the mirror.

Mabel looked at her reflection and immediately howled with laughter. "Oh my gosh, Dipper!" she wiped away tears. "I look like Lazy Susan!"

Dipper had to admit. She did. He couldn't crack a smile though or join in the laughter. He couldn't help feeling it was at his expense. It wouldn't have been so bad if it had been a supposed-to-be-a-mess activity. Dipper knew Mabel didn't care about makeup that much so why couldn't she have just let him do whatever? Draw a black bridge between her eyebrows to make them one, put glitter on her cheeks, or glue the fake eyelashes to her chin to make a face?

"…and your lipstick skills, bro. They are weak!"

Dipper scowled. "Hey! I don't wear the stuff, how am I supposed to know?!"

He wanted to eat those words back up as soon as they escaped his mouth. He gulped as Mabel's eyes widened and a naughty grin spread over her face.

"Mabel…" he said lowly, shifting away from her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Mabel rummaged through her makeup bag, withdrawing the brightest red lipstick she had. She pressed her teeth against her bottom lip in her excitement.

"Mabel, whatever you're thinking of doing—please don't do it," Dipper begged, slowly getting to his feet.

"Pop!" Mabel removed the lid.

"Mabel, listen to me. Put that down!"

"Zooop!" she rotated the cylinder so the long red stick of lipstick ominously rose.

"MABEL!"

Before he could flee, Mabel had sprung and was descending upon him like a vibrantly coloured wave. Dipper didn't admit it to anyone ever but Mabel was the stronger of the two so she easily pinned him down, squirming, while she clumsily applied the lipstick. Some of it missed his lips, getting on his chin and the tip of his nose, but his mouth was soon a full, jam red.

There was such a scuffle, so many yelps and shouting, that they were completely unaware of the footsteps coming from downstairs.

Mabel admired her handiwork, sticking out her small pink tongue and closing one eye, mimicking what she had seen artists do in the movies.

"A vision," she breathed.

"Mabel, get off of my chest!" Dipper squealed.

"Dipper! I was wondering if you could help—"

The colour plummeted from Dipper's cheeks as his Grunkle Ford's voice penetrated the room. The twins looked round in unison and Dipper's stomach was a tight bundle of knots as he met his Grunkle's stunned face.

Mabel, oblivious, said, "Isn't he beautiful?" poking the tip of Dipper's nose. "BOP."

Ford cleared his throat, turning his gaze down to his feet. "I'll let you two carry on playing." 

"Grunkle Ford!" Dipper cried. He gave Mabel a rough shove back so she fell off of him, enabling him to get onto his knees.

Ford was already returning to his room, to his knowledge, his problems that Dipper so badly wanted to be included in. The door shut and Dipper slumped, head bowed so his eyes were obscured by the bill of his cap. He rubbed the colour from his lips and chin onto his shirt sleeve so hard that his skin prickled.

Mabel's mouth was a small 'o' shape, eyes darting from where Grunkle Ford had been to her brother. Uncertainty uncoiled itself in her abdomen as the silence between the two extended and the first pang of guilt rang quietly within her.

Nervously rubbing her upper arm, Mabel worked up the courage to speak. "You okay, Dip—"

"URGH!" Dipper leapt to his feet, hands balled up into fists. When he swung around to look at Mabel, her chest constricted when she saw tears filling her twin's identical eyes. "HOW COULD YOU MABEL?!"

"Dipper…I—"

"YOU KNOW I'VE WAITED SO LONG FOR GRUNKLE FORD TO ASK ME TO JOIN HIM!" Dipper was trembling. "I'VE WANTED TO HELP HIM, TO BE INCLUDED, FROM THE MOMENT HE CAME HERE AND THE FIRST TIME **HE** COMES TO **ME** , YOU HAVE TO GO SPOIL IT!"

Mabel's cheeks flooded with a burning heat; she could literally feel herself turning red. She wanted to stand up but she felt weak. Dipper and her had fought many times growing up. They had squabbles and bickering matches and some small physical fights but he had never yelled at her like this before…she had never felt like she had hurt him so badly before and the shame stung.

The rain hit the shack harder.

"Dipper," she said quietly, wanting to reach out and hug him. "I'm so—"

Again, Dipper cut her off. "I'm going out."

Mabel blinked. "I-it's raining outside," she pointed out weakly.

"I don't care," Dipper stormed over to the door.

Mabel trailed helplessly behind.

The sound of the pouring rain intensified as Dipper opened the door. The world outside was incredibly dark and grey, winds battering the trees and grass, and Mabel didn't want Dipper to leave. Not only because they'd argued and she didn't want to leave things this way, but also because something felt wrong. Something inside her was urgently telling her not to let him go and she tentatively reached out to touch her brother's shoulder.

"Dipper…" she started, her voice small.

Her fingertips had barely made contact when he was sharply shrugging her off.

"I'm going out," he repeated. He turned slightly round just so she could see part of his face. "Don't follow me, Mabel. I want to be alone."

He slammed the door and was gone.

Mabel was in too much shock to move. Tears swelled up in her eyes and sped down her cheeks.

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	2. Chapter 2 - Falling Rain

A low growl of thunder sounded from the skies above his head. His clothes clung to his body like a thick, sodden extra layer of skin, and droplets dripped from the tips of his hair. He momentarily regretted not wearing a coat but that was brushed aside by his mind by the rush of humiliation that returned to his chest, constricting it.

Dipper bowed his head, teeth clenched, as he stormed onwards. He was terribly uncomfortable in the blinding rain that stung his skin and the wind that seemed intent on blowing him over yet the notion of going home made his heart stop mid-thump and kept him moving.

"Stupid Mabel," he muttered to himself. He kicked a slippery clod of grass. "Ruining EVERYTHING." He thumped a tree with the toe of his shoe. "As ALWAYS." His fists tightened in his pockets, hungry to hit something.

Tears crept into the corners of his eyes. Part of the reason he was so upset was because he hated being so angry at his sister. Whenever he felt this bad, he instinctively hunted out Mabel to confide in or stand by just to partake in her exuding warmth and contagious joy. The source of his hurt this time was her and that really kicked him in the gut every time he forced himself to remember that. He didn't want to be mad at her but he couldn't help it.

Dipper respected Ford. He had admired him as an anonymous author for weeks and then suddenly, there was a face to the name. Not only was that but a face he was related to, one he lived under the same roof with. All the questions that had bred and infested Dipper's mind that summer could possibly be answered by this man, who seemed so wrapped up in _his_ own thoughts that he didn't think to stop and ask the pestering kid that had questions to blurt every time he opened his mouth. Dipper couldn't help but think was an annoyance to his Great Uncle, and that kept him up sometimes, prickling with unease.

Then, out of the blue, the very same Great Uncle that has been so elusive and secretive seeks his great nephew out, possibly for help, only to see him looking like an idiot, a dumb kid playing ridiculous games with his sister. Grunkle Ford left and Dipper couldn't help but think that that window, which had been opened for the first time ever, had been permanently closed and barred.

Because they were twins, people assumed Dipper and Mabel were exactly the same and, because Mabel was the louder of the two, her voice was presumed both of theirs. People thought Dipper was the same little immature child that she was who put stickers on her face and knitted unicorns on her jumpers. Dipper didn't feel like her. He wasn't a kid. He was valid, someone that deserved being taken seriously. Maybe that was his greatest fear—not being taken seriously.

Dipper was so preoccupied in his thoughts that he didn't notice a root arching up in his path. It caught his foot and he tumbled face first into the wet mud.

"Typical!" he shouted in frustration. His cheeks were splattered with mud, his clothes felt even grosser than before, and his elbow seared with pain. He checked it to see the skin badly scraped, blood oozing out.

Dipper was tempted to just lie there. He couldn't muster the strength to get to his feet and keep walking; he was so weighted down by all the emotions ricocheting around inside of him. His mind was busy, thoughts humming around like furious bees that just wanted to get out and so they stung. He was exhausted.

Grunkle Ford's face jumped into his head…the way he had looked at him…and Dipper, refusing his tears exit, heaved himself back up onto his feet.

He briefly inspected himself as he brushed off his clothes. He knees were also cut but that was all. No real harm done.

Dipper stood there, irresolute, for a time. Should he press on or go back? He was really conscious of the rain now as it hammered down on him, and the clouds let out a more violent grumble. His clothes felt awful against his skin, and he could think of nothing nicer than some warm dry clothes and a soft bed with his sister's bed next to it.

He felt the guilt press on him as he remembered Mabel's face when he had shouted at her. He was a real jerk to her…she had been a jerk to him too, in some ways, but he was the one who let it go too far. He should have put a stop to it, told her it was making him unhappy and uncomfortable. Mabel, albeit overly enthusiastic and pushy at times, was thoughtful when nudged in the right direction. What was he doing out in the rain? Sulking. Babies sulked. He was being a real big baby.

Dipper swallowed hard.

He decided it was time to head back and make up with Mabel.

That was when it happened.

 **0**

Mabel stared out of their bedroom window, chin resting on the palm of her hand, all of her thoughts focused on her twin brother.

Anxiety for him nibbled away at her, intensifying whenever the sky made that threatening sound. It all seemed like a terrible, clichéd omen. Of course Dipper would be out in this, alone, without a phone and without anyone there with him. A trillion concerns shot through her head. What if he got lost, what if there was a bear, what if he got pneumonia, what if Bill—

She amputated the rest of that sentence off with a forceful shake of the head.

There was a faint knock on the door.

Grunkle Stan peeped in.

"You alright there, kiddo?" he said while stifling a yawn. He cast his eyes quickly round the room. "Where's boy you?"

"We had a fight," Mabel admitted glumly.

Grunkle Stan's expression softened and he let himself into the room, shuffling and rummaging in his mind for something comforting to say. He sat at the foot of her bed, hands clasped between his knees, thumbs fiddling so he had something else to focus on.

"You er—wanna talk about it?" he offered.

Mabel heaved out a sigh and hugged her knees at her chest. "I was real mean to Dipper," she murmured. "A real big doo-doo head."

"Hey, kid. Easy with the strong words," Grunkle Stan lightly teased. When he saw it did nothing to lift her mood, he changed tack. "What makes you call yourself that?"

"I made him do whatever I wanted to all day," Mabel continued. "And you know, he did all of it without complaining once and it was kind of fun. But I took it too far...he got mad…" she sighed again. "I guess…Dipper wasn't having fun at all and I just pushed his buttons.

"That's what siblings do," Grunkle Stan said. "We push each other's buttons. When you have a brother or sister, you know you can kind of push the boundaries a little because at the end of the day, you're going to make it up. Siblings are unique in that way. You can push them so far but they always come back…you know, within reason. It may take longer sometimes for things to be good again but they will." He was blushing ever so slightly as he spoke and Mabel knew not to raise attention to it. She silently listened, missing her brother more and more intensely.

"You and Dipper," Grunkle Stan went on. "Are closer than Ford and I ever were. We were close but we were each other's pains in the neck as well. If we can sort of make things up after thirty years, then I know you two will be okay." He glanced at her and wanly smiled. Then, resuming his usual manner, added, "Have you apologised to the twerp yet?"

Mabel shook her head. "He went out two hours ago."

"In this?"

Grunkle Stan looked outside. It was getting really dark now. He didn't like that.

"Hm…" he grunted. "We better go look for him. Make sure he's okay."

Mabel, fuelled with passion, jumped from the bed onto her feet. "Yeah!"

"Whoa, hold your horses," Stan held up his hands as he more slowly stood up. "I meant we as in me and Ford. You have to stay here."

Mabel visibly deflated. "Whu—why?"

"It's awful out," her Great Uncle said. "Plus, we need someone here if he comes back and, double plus, your parents would scalp me if they knew both of you were out in this."

"But Grunkle Stan-"

"No buts," Stan interjected firmly. When he saw her crestfallen face, he ruffled her hair lovingly on his way to the door. "Stay out of trouble. We'll be back in no time."

Mabel waved off her two Grunkles as they, wrapped up in every waterproof piece of clothing they owned, headed out, instructing her to call them if Dipper showed and promising her to do the same. She stood in the doorway until they were out of sight, flecks of rain dusting her cheeks, and then she tugged on her bright purple waterproof coat, tucked her feet into her heart patterned wellies and sprinted out into the rain.

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **I hope everyone is enjoying this so far as much as I'm enjoying writing it. As a big brother to a younger sister, I really relate to Dipper in a lot of ways (in the show and in this) and I hope it all comes through genuine. I will update this as soon as I can and thank you again for reading.**

 **JAY**


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